The present invention relates to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to carburetors for use with internal combustion engines. Small engines for use with, for example, outdoor power equipment (e.g., walk-behind mowers, etc.) typically utilize carburetors for supplying a mixture of air and fuel to the engine. Such carburetors typically include die-cast metal bodies and many small parts that are assembled to the body. Many machining processes are also often employed on the die-cast metal bodies in preparation for final assembly.
Other carburetors, however, include bodies that are molded from a plastic material. Such molded plastic carburetor bodies often include one or more apertures or passageways formed therein which otherwise would be machined in an equivalent die-cast metal carburetor body. However, such molded plastic carburetor bodies typically require some machining in preparation for final assembly of the carburetor. For example, it is common to employ one or more drilling processes in conventional molded plastic carburetor bodies to form connecting passageways between two or more molded passageways. Subsequent manufacturing processes, such as plugging a portion of the drilled passageway and welding the plug to the carburetor body, are also commonly employed in manufacturing carburetors having molded plastic bodies.